Dean v. People

Summary

The court held that applying Colorado’s habitual-criminal sentencing and parole-eligibility statutes to Dean did not violate equal protection, even though he would become parole eligible later than an offender with more serious prior felony convictions. Under rational-basis review, the statutory distinctions were rationally related to punishment, public safety, and the seriousness of the offender’s conduct and history. The court affirmed but remanded for correction of the mittimus.